Common Myths

Know the facts!

Despite the success of online schools over the years, some misconceptions still persist about what they are and what we do. Outlined below are some of the most common myths and their answers. If you still have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to call or email any of our teachers or administrators anytime.

MYTH: Students who attend online schools do not have opportunities for social interaction.

FACT:

Students who attend PA Distance Learning Charter School interact with their peers in daily live learning sessions, discussion threads, chat rooms and via email. Your child also has opportunities to participate in social outings during the year including trips to museums, candy factories, land and sea tours, parks and, of course, our graduation ceremony. We also encourage students to participate in extracurricular activities associated with their home school districts.

MYTH: Online schools are for students who work at an average pace.

FACT:

Our academic program is a paced program outlining what a student must accomplish each school day. Families have the flexibility in how they choose to set up their daily schedule. Students complete daily lessons at varying rates; while one student may spend 20 minutes on an assignment, another student may need to spend an hour. Teachers work with each student to ensure they are appropriately progressing within the assigned curriculum. Teachers and support staff offer assistance to students in the form of remediation if the student is struggling, or enrichment activities for students seeking greater breadth and depth of knowledge. Our program provides many options for accelerated learning, and our remediation program is a unique opportunity to help students succeed.

FACT:

We provide a personal learning experience for our students. Highly qualified teachers design, deliver and monitor courses while communicating individually with students via email. Consistent communication between families and teachers is the key to the student success in our online environment. Our staff works in a collaborative environment in which they dedicate time each week for sharing ideas, best practices and strategies to ensure the needs of every student are met.

MYTH: Your child will have to spend their entire day on the computer.

FACT:

As a public cyber charter school, PA Distance Learning offers your child primarily online programs and textbooks that bring learning alive for students. In addition, novels, workbooks, manipulatives and offline projects are used to help your child synthesize the concepts they learn.

MYTH: Online schools do not meet the curriculum requirements of the state.

FACT:

PA Distance Learning is a public cyber charter school sanctioned by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as a Legal Education Agency for K-12 students. We have been granted the legal authority under Pennsylvania charter school laws to educate K-12 students and answer directly to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. In addition, we are required to meet the same content area standards as traditional brick and mortar schools.

MYTH: When you graduate, you will just receive a piece of paper in the mail.

FACT:

PA Distance Learning offers our students a full graduation ceremony with a cap and gown. In addition, a Class Valedictorian and Salutatorian are honored. The graduation ceremony is hosted annually at a location in central Pennsylvania. All graduates are encouraged to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

MYTH: You will not be able to get into college if you graduate from an online school.

FACT:

Our graduation stats for 2014 are as follows:
55%: 4 year college
25%: 2 year college or trade school
20%: workforce

MYTH: Students who attend an online school cannot play football or participate in the band for the local school district.

FACT:

Students who attend an online school can still participate in a variety of extracurricular activities sponsored by their local school district.